THIS IS THE LAST PIECE OF THE STORY, BUT DONT WORRY, I AM PLANNING TO WRITE A SEQUEL.
Author's Notes: This takes place sometime in the future. The events in the Previously on... are partially fictional, and partially things that have actually happened. I actually do want Lorelai with Luke in the end, but this seemed like a fun diversion. The movie Kramer vs. Kramer is referenced and I suggest you all see it, as it is incredible. You have to ignore the last couple of episodes, I started writing this during hiatus and it's actually kind of repetitive if you've already seen There's the Rub. But I swear it was my idea first! (Chuck Presby is modeled after a real kid in my history class.)
Music references: The la-las. (There's a bunch of variations. Imagine whichever one you want.) Collective Soul. Jim Croce.
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters (except for one.) They, and some of the scenes in the previously on are not my own writing, they belong to Amy Sherman-Palladino and the other creators of the Gilmore Girls universe. Kramer vs. Kramer is a great movie which is not mine either.
*
(LORELAI walks up to a closed door with the number 11 on it. She raises her hand to knock, stops herself, starts to leave, then gathers her courage to return and knock. SAM opens the door.)
Sam: (surprised) Lorelai, hey.
Lorelai: Hi. We need to talk.
Sam: Yeah. (leaning on the door-jam) You sure left in a hurry earlier.
Lorelai: I kind of freaked out. I was—can I come in?
Sam: Sure. (He steps aside and she walks in, sitting awkwardly on the bed.) You don't mind if I continue packing, do you?
Lorelai: Go ahead. (He starts folding the clothes sitting on the bed.) Okay, I freaked out earlier because, um, there was this really important thing I hadn't told you about.
(SAM raises his eyebrows expectantly.)
Lorelai: I...have a daughter. (very quickly) And I'm really sorry I didn't tell you before, but when I didn't right away it would've seemed weird to bring it up later on, like hey, by the way... so I kept waiting and—
Sam: Whoa, calm down. (laughs) I see what you mean about that coffee addiction now.
Lorelai: I'm sorry. I just wasn't sure how you'd react.
Sam: You know, last night you asked if I was a lawyer, but you never let me tell you what I actually do. (pause) I'm a kindergarten teacher. (smiles at her as he folds a shirt) I love little kids.
Lorelai: She's seventeen.
Sam: (freezes) What?
Lorelai: Yeah, uh, the year after you left I sort of got pregnant and dropped out of high school.
Sam: (in shock) Wow.
Lorelai: I know.
Sam: Most people our age are just starting to think about having kids.
Lorelai: (trying to joke) Yeah, well I was always more of a doer than a planner.
Sam: So, does she lives with you?
Lorelai:Yeah. I moved out when I was seventeen. Her father—you remember Chris Hayden?—he lives in Boston now, but that's a recent development. I'm sorry, is this freaking you out?
Sam: (honestly) It's a lot to take in.
Lorelai: I just—I felt really guilty about not telling you before. (awkward pause) So a kindergarten teacher, huh?
Sam: Yeah.
Lorelai: What's the suit for then?
Sam: Oh, I was interviewing for a position in Wethersfield. I got the job.
Lorelai: Oh, congratulations. Are you moving up here?
Sam: Looks like it. (pause) Are you sure you're not free tonight?
Lorelai: (She's surprised he's still interested, but tries to hide it.) Yeah, Rory's sick, and I promised her I'd come home as soon as I could.
Sam: I understand. (pause) How about next weekend?
Lorelai: Next weekend?
Sam: Well, I have to come back and look for someplace to stay, don't I? (pause, while she considers this) So, next weekend?
Lorelai: Next week's pretty busy, but— (mischievously) hey, I know!
Sam: (laughing) Uh oh. What?
Lorelai: I have to go to this really nifty garden party of Saturday. (He makes a face.) Yeah, it's all very Jane Austen meets Martha Stewart. Anyway, my mom is insisting that I bring a date.
Sam: Oh no, no way! I don't do garden parties anymore!
Lorelai: Come on, it'll be fun! You can meet Rory, and then we can go do something wild and rebellious afterwards, something that includes slurping our tea and speaking with our mouths full.
Sam: (after a pause) All right.
Lorelai: Really? You mean it? (He nods.) You must really like me.
Sam: Guilty as charged. (She crosses to the door.) So, I'll call you this week?
Lorelai: Sure. (pauses in the doorway, then says reflectively) You know, I haven't had the best luck dating teachers.
Sam: Well, I'm different than most teachers.
Lorelai: I'm sure you are.
(Center of town. RORY and LORELAI walk away from Luke's, dressed for school and work respectively. They're drinking coffee as they talk.)
Lorelai: (staring at the worksheet she's carrying) Okay, so what elements can form hydrogen bonds?
Rory: (immeadiately) Flourine, oxygen, and nitrogen.
Lorelai: Wow. How do you do that so fast?
Rory: Easy. Flourine, oxygen, nitrogen. F, O, N. Chemistry is FON. Fun, get it?
Lorelai: (mockingly horrified) That is a terrible mnemonic.
Rory: I know. Ms. Brash suggested thinking of that and now I can't forget it. Continue, please.
Lorelai: Um...what is entropy a measurement—oh, we did that one. Hold on. (finds her place) Okay, how do hydrogen bonds form?
Rory: The atom the hydrogen is bonded to is very electronegative, so it pulls the electrons far away from the hydrogen, making it almost like a positive proton. The proton-like hydrogen is then attracted to the unpaired electrons on a nearby molecule.
(They stop walking, having reached the bus stop.)
Lorelai: You are going to ace this exam. (hands the paper back to RORY)
Rory: (worried) You think?
Lorelai: Hey, Einstein's got nothing on you, babe.
Rory: Einstein was physics, Mom.
Lorelai: Same thing. (checks her watch) I have to get to work, but meet me at Luke's after school, okay? I have a, uh, new development I need to tell you about.
Rory: (reading over her notes) Okay.
Lorelai: (watches RORY with a pensive smile for a second, then continues walking.) Good luck!
Rory: Bye.
(As RORY stands there, DEAN comes up behind her and puts his hands over her eyes.)
Dean: Guess who?
Rory: (She pulls away, not rudely, but she's definitely not amused.) I have to study. (DEAN looks hurt, and she pauses long enough to comfort him.) I promise, as soon as finals are over, I'll be more fun again. We can finish that movie this weekend.
Dean: Promise?
Rory: Absolutely. (She smiles at him and he moves in to kiss her, but she obliviously turns her head as the bus pulls up. Without noticing him, she hops up.) I'll see you later!
Dean: (as the bus doors close) Yeah. Right. (He stares down at JESS's jacket in his hands.)
(Star's Hollow High hallway. Students stand at their lockers before class. The bell rings, and everyone files into classrooms. DEAN spots JESS walking towards homeroom and catches up with him.)
Dean: (hostily) Hey, Mariano. (JESS turns as his jacket hits him in the chest.) You forgot your jacket.
(JESS picks up the jacket from the floor as DEAN advances. He looks up at DEAN, completely calm.)
Jess: (coldly) Was there something else?
Dean: Yeah. Stay away from Rory.
Jess: (sarcastically) Oh. Okay.
Dean: I mean it! She's too sweet a person for you to mess with.
Jess: (patronizingly) Listen, I'd love to stay and discuss this with you further, but I don't believe in cutting homeroom.
(He tries to walk past DEAN, but DEAN grabs him and shoves him back against the lockers. JESS's left elbow hits the metal hard, and for a brief second he grimaces in pain, grabbing his arm, before recovering his fearless facade.)
Dean: I'm not done talking to you yet, you little jerk!
Jess: God, do you ever listen to yourself?!
Dean: (catches his breath, trying to calm down) Look, Rory and I have something special. We love each other, and I'm not gonna let you mess that up.
Jess: She loves you?
Dean: Yeah, that's right.
Jess: (rolls his eyes) Who are you kidding?
Dean: (restraining himself) I swear, if we weren't in school...
Jess: (taunting) You'd what, hit me?! (sneers) I've taken worse.
Dean: (grimaces in supressed anger) You know, if she knew the truth...
Jess: (laughs) You don't have the balls to tell her anything, man. She'd hate it if she thought you were fighting her battles!
Dean: You don't know anything about her!
Jess: I know more than you do. I know she'll be pissed when she hear about this, and not at me. (Quickly he ducks around DEAN and starts walking away.)
Dean: You are not going to tell her about this!
(JESS turns around, walking backwards for a second, and grins wickedly. DEAN stares after him, furious as well as worried.)
(Luke's diner. RORY enters cheerfully, sets her backpack in a chair, and leans against the counter. JESS is standing behind the counter on the phone, taking an order. He smiles as RORY sits down at the counter and reaches across to feel her forehead while he talks. She looks pleased.)
Jess: Okay, that'll be ready in twenty minutes. Thanks. (hangs up and says to RORY) Your fever's gone.
Rory: Good thing.
Jess: (concerned) How are you feeling?
Rory: A lot better.
Jess: Good.
Rory: Yeah, I think that day off really helped. (smiles at him) That was really nice of you to come over yesterday.
Jess: No big deal.
Rory: It made my day. (JESS glances up shyly.) Although we didn't get to finish watching the movie.
Jess: (shrugs) I've seen it a bunch of times. You can finish it without me.
Rory: (leans towards him) Or you can come over this Friday and we can finish it together.
Jess: Yeah?
Rory: Sure.
Jess: What about Dean?
Rory: Oh, he won't like this movie.
Jess: Yeah, but won't he mind if you watch it? With me?
Rory: (surprised) No. (confidently) He and I talked yesterday, and he said it's fine if we're friends. (JESS makes a face.) What?
Jess: Nothing. I'm just surprised you have to ask his permission first.
Rory: That's not what I meant. I don't need his permission. (JESS looks skeptical, and she gets defensive.) I don't!
Jess: (He looks ready to tell her of his earlier conversation, but changes his mind with a shake of his head.) Okay. Whatever.
(RORY smiles, happy again, and is about to continue her conversation with him when LORELAI enters. JESS's face goes from warm to stone in no time, and he quickly pours two cups of coffee. RORY offers one last apologetic grin before taking the coffee back to the table where bag is and LORELAI is sitting down.)
Lorelai: Hey, how was the exam?
Rory: I think it went okay.
Lorelai: At least it's over!
Rory: Amen. (sips her coffee) So? What was this news you wanted to tell me?
Lorelai: Oh, right. (grins, pleased with herself) So, I have a date for the party on Saturday.
Rory: Really? Who?
Lorelai: This guy named Sam. I went to high school with him.
Rory: Is he cute?
Lorelai: Definitely.
Rory: That's great!
Lorelai: Don't I know it! Plus, maybe it'll finally get my mother off my back!
Rory: (bluntly) Mom. Get real. Grandma's always going to find something to bug you about. It's her hobby.
Lorelai: (mock dejectedly) I know. I just don't see why she can't find a new hobby. You know, something lady-like like drag racing.
(They both giggle, and la-las drown out the rest of their conversation. Snippets are heard, but they're lost in their own world. JESS watches, eyes bright, and pensively rubs his injured arm. Fade out.)
(the end)